THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 1, 1995 TAG: 9506010070
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEPHANIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
FIRST THEY GAVE us Wonderbra, which boosted, padded and sandwiched. Now they're after our bottoms.
Butt Booster, the nylon Lycra undergarment, promises to hoist our saggy rears.
Designed by New York's Bodyslimmers by Nancy Ganz, the Booster looks like a pair of hipsters underwear. But it's really a belly-flattening panty with a bonus. It has 2-inch straps strategically placed beneath the derriere that help defy gravity.
First things first: Does it hurt?
Ganz swears her product is comfortable. Some people might disagree. Flattening a little Buddha pouch and giving a rear a 1-inch push upward can be a bit constraining.
We asked Bridget Rogers, a 22-year-old Norfolk woman, to squeeze into the Butt Buster.
On the positive side, Rogers says Butt Booster did wonders for her belly. It didn't flatten her rear end like a girdle, but she didn't see significant butt boosting, either.
On the negative side:
``Ouch,'' she complained. ``It hurts my leg.''
But hey, Rogers says, girdles feel just as bad. And pantyhose and high heels don't feel so good, either.
``Yeah, it's a little bit uncomfortable,'' said Rebecca Blessing, a 24-year-old from Alexandria who said Butt Booster didn't really boost, but did flatten her belly. ``I'd wear it.''
Second thing: Why do we do this to ourselves?
Because Stairmaster hurts more.
Ganz isn't against exercise or healthful eating. She says her products - everything from BustBooster to Thighslimmer - help where nature and exercise leave off.
``Bodyslimmers isn't meant to say, `Don't exercise, don't eat healthy food,' '' she said. ``It's about feeling good about your body.''
Ganz's designs and advertising campaigns haven't exactly won over women's groups, but Ganz doesn't care much. She snorts with laughter while reading the caption on her latest campaign: ``While you don't necessarily dress for men, it doesn't hurt on occasion to see one drool like the pathetic dog that he is.''
As for her critics, she'd like them to try on the Butt Booster or maybe her other product, the BustBooster.
``It's liberating to wear BustBooster,'' she said of her padded and wired bra. ``I'm a woman. I have breasts. I'm doing it because I want to feel womanly and sexy. . . .''
The Butt Booster has quickly gained acceptance among female consumers. Each month, Ganz's company sells about 40,000 Butt Boosters, at $25 to $30 each.
QVC Inc., the home-shopping network, said Butt Boosters have gone fast. When they were introduced last November, they sold out. The second time, in March, QVC nearly sold out of its 1,200 boosters.
In Hampton Roads, Hang-Ups in Great Neck Village Shopping Center in Virginia Beach offers the product.
Ganz created her first Bodyslimmers product - a slip for the hips - when she was a sportswear designer. After she tried on a puckered velvet dress for a department-store appearance, she realized she needed help.
She has a line of about 60 products, including Belly Buster and Thighslimmer. Coming soon: jeans with a built-in Butt Booster and possibly, slimming products for men.
Even if the Butt Booster is a great idea, selling the product has its drawbacks.
``It's a little touchy,'' said Tracie Burlage, owner of Hang-Ups in Virginia Beach. ``If people come out and say, `I don't like my butt,' then I'll show them the Butt Booster. But I don't know if you'd want to hear me say, `Hey, how about a butt enhancer?' '' ILLUSTRATION: JOHN CORBITT/Staff
[Color Illustration]
by CNB